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Goat Cheese

Wow, what a week it has been. I can’t seem to keep up this week and keep hoping for a significant chunk of time that I can devote to just getting my ducks in a row. I’ve got so many wonderful projects and events on my plate right now, but I’m starting to feel the need to practice a bit of balance.

Just because a good opportunity comes, doesn’t always mean it’s the right opportunity at the time. I need to keep reminding myself this!

Anyways, I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed this morning, thinking about my gigantic project list I have to accomplish over the next several weeks. I had a million ideas flowing through my head, multiple deadlines, and reminders that I knew I couldn’t forget. So what did I do? I wrote it all down.

I don’t know about you, but as soon as I write it all out in front of me, it always seems much more attainable. I operate on organization. I need a plan, I need to see it, and I need to have structure. Not that I actually accomplished anything n that list today, but just the mere act of writing it out gave me slight peace of mind.

It’s going to be a crazy few months. Bring it on!

I mentioned the other day that I haven’t spent as much time in the kitchen this week as I would have liked. We’ve been busy with meetings, events, and dinners out but tonight, I did manage to put together a simple but delicious fall dish that is one of my favorites for a busy mid-week meal.

This time of year, I always seem to have the same vegetables in my fridge; squash and brussels sprouts. Right now, these are about the only two vegetables in my fridge so dinner tonight was developed around them.

You really can not go wrong with this recipe. The ingredients are simple and it comes together in less than 20 minutes. I’m not sure why people think a nutritious and wholesome meal is something that has to be time consuming. Remember, it’s not about the dish on a whole, it’s about the ingredients that makes it healthy.

Quinoa (fiber) is a staple for me, as well as vegetables and protein. When I hit all of these in one meal, I’ve accomplished it.

While you sautéing the vegetables in one pan, you cook the quinoa in another. As soon as the quinoa is done, it’s time to add to the pan with the vegetables. All that is left to do is fold together and add some cheese. Simple!

Since I like a little sauce in most of my dishes, I came up with one on the fly; just balsamic vinegar and maple syrup whisked together and added to the pan along with a few generous handfuls of spinach. The spinach is just an added bonus for color and nutrients. Why the heck not, right?

And feel free to use whatever flavor chicken sausage you like, but to achieve the full fall flavor of this dish, I like the sweet apple that many lines carry. (I used Trader Joe’s)

So my victory for this week is making at least one delicious and wholesome dinner. Next week I’ll try for a few more but for now, this is what I’m celebrating.

Rinse and dry quinoa. Add dry quinoa and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, heat a large skillet. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and add squash and sprouts. Saute vegetables for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Add the chicken sausage and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes.

In a small dish, whisk the balsamic vinegar and syrup. Set aside.

When quinoa is done cooking, add it to the pan with the vegetables and sausage. Stir to combine.

Add spinach and balsamic to the pan.

Fold everything together and add the goat cheese. Cook for an additional minute or until the cheese beings to melt.

Happy Election Day! No matter where you stand on this heated election, I sincerely hope you choose to exercise today, exercise your right to vote that is.

This will be my second presidential election that I am old enough to have a say and living in Pennsylvania, we are considered a big swing state so the candidates have been doing some pretty heavy campaigning here in the last few months. I’m not really sure what to think about this election but I do know I’ll be voting either way and YOU SHOULD TOO!!!!

Changing pace, I also wanted to take an opportunity to bring up the topic of the hurricane relief efforts. Although the storm has passed, the devastation that it has caused for so many has not. We got extremely lucky in PA but a lot of our surrounding states did not and it breaks my heart to hear the stories of despair that continue to develop.

The only bright note in the midst of a disaster is the amount of people that come forward to show their support. I have been overwhelmed by the amount of bloggers that have taken action to help. Clare just posted a great review of so many relief posts that are currently going on in the blog world. Definitely check it out!

Changing pace again.

This happened yesterday….

Yes that would be a tattoo on my right wrist and it’s 100& real.

I guess I should explain. I’ve wanted a tattoo for years but I have not been able to fully decide on what I want or where I wanted it. My original thought was the lotus symbol. I’ve always loved the image itself, but the meaning behind it is so beautiful and one that resonates very strongly with me.

The lotus represents purity and beauty in many cultures but the story behind this symbol is that its roots sit strong within murky waters, but it’s petals bloom upright towards the sun, meaning perseverance. To me, this means overcoming odds, always staying rooted in your beliefs, and rising above.

So like I said, I knew I wanted one for awhile now but I still wasn’t set on the location. I thought about my hip but I really wanted it visible or else I don’t think I would have even gotten one. Then when I was in Mexico, I decided to get a henna on my wrist to see if I would like it there and I did.

Yesterday, I met my friend for coffee and told her I was just going to do it. She agreed to come with me and off we went this afternoon. That was that.

To be honest, it really didn’t hurt that much. I wasn’t nervous about the pain (I have a high pain tolerance), more the thought of having something so permanent placed on my body but I kept thinking how it really was me and something I could live with forever.

I’m so pleased with how it turned out.

Speaking of being pleased with outcomes, let’s talk about this end result.

Did you know that the first week of November is National Fig Week? Neither did I until my friend Janetha told me.

I’ve been spotting figs at the grocery store for the past few weeks but I wanted to have a recipe in mind before I dished out the money for them. Fresh figs are so elaborate and deserve a worthy recipe as such.

This pizza is not a completely innovate concept as I’ve had this combination before, but this is probably the first time I’ve attempted it at home.

It was so simple I almost feel silly posting it.

But then again, sometimes the simple recipes are the ones that need sharing the most.

This weekend marks the official first day of fall and with all of the seasonal talk, I’m beginning to get a little more accepting of the fact.

Let’s be honest, the only real reason we are all so quick to jump on board with colder weather is the idea of comfort food right? I’m talking big crock pots filled with spicy chili, baked pastas and of course, anything pumpkin affiliated.

All summer long, I’ve taken to the method of grilling just about every meal and recently discovered my deep infatuation with grilled naan pizza. It was the perfect concept, pour a glass of wine, throw a pizza on the grill, and sit back for a few minutes while the crust perfectly charred on the Weber.

Well, pizza isn’t exactly a fall-like food…or is it?

It is now!

I may not have used my grill, but the oven works just as well, especially when it comes to roasting vegetables. What’s so great about pizza is that it can be a blank canvas and transform to please any season.

This Fall Harvest Pizza combines one of my favorite fall vegetables, butternut squash, along with smoky eggplant and sweet roasted beets, all topped with creamy goat cheese. This was my first time at trying beets on a pizza and I must say, it was quite a pleasant discovery.

I may not be breaking out my slow-cooker just yet, but I’m slowly working my way into comfort food, proving that pizza is one meal I can enjoy just about any time of year.

Still time to enter my giveaway for a chance to win your box of Granola Basics. I’ll choose 3 winners on Friday.

And please don’t hate me, but I still could use all of your help and votes for the Face of Fitness contest I’m in with Fitness Magazine. You can vote (HERE) every day until the end of the week. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU x a million for your votes. Seriously. 🙂

Productivity is a word that I know well. A little too well in fact. Along with productivity, I would say that I have some pretty commendable self-discipline. When I was in college, I spent more than half of my time taking online classes, meeting deadlines that I had given myself in order not to fall behind, and carving out time almost every day to study. Okay so now I’m sounding more like a suck up but the point being that I can honestly see why this lifestyle is not for everyone.

Some people need structure of goals and tasks that are assigned to them. Some people need an authoritative figure directing them. And some people need the guidance with every assignment and duty they are faced with. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But me, I’m one of the rare ones that can thrive off my own self motivation and success. It’s not easy, that’s for sure, but it’s definitely rewarding.

Shortly after breakfast today, I had to run to the gym for a meeting with my trainer. I’m working on a little project that will include featuring him and some of the routines he incorporates. Fortunately for me, a “meeting” with him means talking in-between sets. I lead by example so in order for me to compile the thought process for these posts, I needed to actually complete the exercises. Not such a bad trade-off.

After a few hours of working straight, I was more than ready for a lunch break this afternoon with a good friend.

Lunch

Audi and I met for lunch at one of our favorite local spots, Juice n’ Java.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I used to work here in high school. It was seriously the best job! I spent my days making coffee for all of my high school friends and listening to local bands play every weekend. This is also where I learned everything from wrap making, to stevia, to wheatgrass and fancy espresso drinks.

I had some coupons to use so my lunch came out almost free!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Avocado Citrus Salad with Grilled Salmon

Have you ever seen more beautiful omega’s on one plate? Amen to healthy fats and all of their incredible benefits! I’m pretty sure there was an entire avocado in this baby.

It was lovely to get out and catch up with Audi as always.

I spent the rest of my day chained to my computer busting through a few more hours of work. I’m actually glad I didn’t leave my screen because I had some very exciting emails come through that I can’t wait to share with you guys! Gosh I feel like I am keeping you all in the dark on so many things, but just hang with me for another week and I’ll come clean, I promise!

Dinner

I had intentions of making chicken pitas but completely changed my mind when this little gem popped into my mind. No idea where this comes from, but I just go with it.

The quinoa salad is one of the best I’ve made this summer. Fresh corn, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, feta and a fresh lemon basil dressing. The entire dish was so light and summery. I ate this atop arugula along with juicy grilled chicken.

Prepare the quinoa and set aside. In a large skillet, saute squash and corn in one teaspoon of oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until slightly browned but still crisp, about 5 minutes. In the last minute, add cherry tomatoes so they just begin to slightly cook. You want them to plump but not pop.

In small bowl, combine one teaspoon of oil, lemon juice, vinegar and balsamic. Stir in the basil and set aside.

In a large bowl, place the squash mixture, quinoa and feta cheese. Pour over dressing and mix until evenly distributed.

Every summer, I seem to go through significant phases on what fruit I’m craving for the week. Hopefully, these cravings fall in line with what is in season mainly for ethical and financial reasons. Buying in season is always a smart choice!

Some weeks it’s fresh juicy peaches, others it’s deliciously ripe blueberries, and then I’m always on board when strawberry season comes around. Most of the time, these fruits are available for most of the summer months so I can usually rotate between flavors of the week for the season. However, there is one fruit that usually only makes its valiant appearance for a short window.

I always forget about cherries and that they come to life at the end of the summer. I’ve been snatching up fresh cherries with almost every trip to the market and finding more ways to use them. As much as I love to snack on them in all of their glory, fresh cherries also go beautifully in so many recipes from everything sweet to savory.

Tonight, I combined the best of both worlds.

These cherries were starting to turn so I knew something needed to be done immediately.

Calling all local Pa bloggers! I am hosting a blogger meet-up event on Friday, August 24th at Fusion Fire in Camp Hill. If you are available and interested in coming out for a night of amazing food, wine, and meeting other wonderful local bloggers, shoot me an email and I will send you the details.